A senior games studio source working on an upcoming Sony game says the new system's controller has undergone numerous iterations, few of which resemble the DualShock build that has become synonymous with PlayStation.

Experiments within Sony's R&D department are thought to have been extensive. Versions of the new PS4 pad include biometric sensors on the grips and an LCD touch screen, the development source claimed.

A second source, working in a separate part of the industry but still connected to Sony, said PlayStation engineers are "trying to emulate the same user interface philosophies as the PS Vita". This is likely a reference to the touch-screen capabilities of the PlayStation handheld, and a suggestion that Sony will tightly integrate its portable and home systems.

The new console - codenamed Orbis - will be revealed in a matter of weeks, not months.

Sony has declined to comment.

guessing where going to see something during the PlayStation event next month.

Oh im sure were going to see something in february, but i doubt its going to be a full fledged PS4 announcement. Most likely It will be teasers to an announcement about something big at the GDC or E3. I also have a feeling that were going to see something very very big with Metal Gear and Phantom Pain.

Maybe its the resoloution i watched the video for phantom pain, but the video looked like they were visuals that the PSVita could handle. Im kind of thinking MGS5: Ground Zeroes announced for PS3/4 and MGS5:Phantom Pain for PSVita. i have no evidence to support this, just a hunch.

meh thats just them combining the move and the dualshock (nothing wrong with that), as long as its not too heavy ill use it. if they stray away too much from the OG dualshock design, it might throw some people off! i know i've been using that thing since the 90s and now they are thinking of changing it?

Not excited about a touch screen. It will most likely just make the controller bigger than it needs to be. I'm also not interested in looking back and forth between the screen and my controller.

Agreed! I also don't like my controllers to have bigger balls than myself! I would rather use the boomerang design over this design...They just need to release the Dualshock 4, with proper triggers for L2/R2 and make the analog controls curve inward like on the Xbox360 controller and maybe revise the haptic feedback inside the controller.

The 360 dpad is PURE crap, i mean its horrible, no matter what you use it for ( going through menus, fighting games, cars, everything)

The ps3 dpad is good, could be improved ( vita style).

The dpad on the PlayStation controllers to me has always been top notch, I think that is the only dpad to actually de-throne the NES/SNES dpads! I have only played a Vita once, but noticed that dpad was quite nice as well, but haven't used it enough to give an official judgement. My main thing is that they really need to fix those triggers on the Dualshock and make the analog controls dish shaped instead of beveled.

It's not perfect...yet...it is about 95% percent perfect right now, they just need to tweak it a little more and everyone will be happy! Hopefully the new controllers will still dock into current charging stands too!

We had this with the PS3, and people complained, so they just went with the usual design, it'll be no different again. And then you have the people who will complain no matter what. If they do change it though hopefully they release a DS4 later for those who want the standard controller, and I'll be picking that up over any new design.

What we have now is a "very good" controller in the DS3, there are some imperfections though and I trust that Sony will make an even better controller and we'll all be saying "This thing is better than the DS".

I wonder if they will still allow us to sync a Dualshock 3 to the PS4? Hopefully if this is true they didn't butcher the design too much, and I really hope it doesn't look like this f-ed up thing:

I refuse to use a controller with two big balls on the top of it!

Awful design! to gimmicky! not for me!

why cant they just use the eyetoy for motion sensor stuff it was the first hands free controller on PS2, the design isnt gd for hardcore fans imagine playing the likes of New KZ or COD on PS4 an having those to balls on top tht get in the way of things! not good! just want a normal looking controller.

i hope they keep some kind of stick and just have a small touch screen something like the wii u.
haveing an all touch screen for sticks wont work, touch screen needs to be worked o for a few more years

why cant they just use the eyetoy for motion sensor stuff it was the first hands free controller on PS2, the design isnt gd for hardcore fans imagine playing the likes of New KZ or COD on PS4 an having those to balls on top tht get in the way of things! not good! just want a normal looking controller.

I will be pretty pissed if that turns out to be the PS4 controller! Worse case, I hope they will allow us to sync the Dualshock 3's to the system...

The L2 and R2 buttons could use a little tweaking. Apart from that, don't expect a new design. If people liked the concept of a new controller they wouldn't have complained about the boomerang design when Sony unveiled the PS3.

Honestly, Sony doesn't really have to change their controller. I know people this gen have said Xbox 360's pad is better for shooters, but the DualShock still works just fine for any genre from what it seems. Plus, Vita follows the DualShock format, so if Sony wants to continue cross play, it's probably going to be easier to do so if the button layout is consistent.

I suppose it's a good time for change, but I never found it necessary (unless you have big hands, I suppose, but oddly enough I don't often hear about that). I like the breakaway dualshock motion controller concept since it doesn't abandon traditional usability for motion controls. The balls on top are the biggest risk, though, in terms of design and general likeability.

Originally Posted by Fon

Bring back the boomerang!

LOL that thing looked soooooooooo uncomfortable...

...and ugly too (though I don't mind ugly if it's for the sake of ergonomics). But that's just my opinion, of course.

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